Rotation.org Writing Team

JESUS’ ASCENSION
DRAMA WORKSHOP

PASSAGE

Story: Acts 1:2-11

Key/Memory Verse: Acts 1:9b “As they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” NRSV

PURPOSE

Objectives for Rotation

Students will be able to:

• locate the story of Jesus' Ascension in the New Testament books of Luke and Acts;
  (Older students will learn that Luke and Acts were written by the same author.)
  
  
• realize that Jesus' Ascension into heaven took place after forty days of appearances by the risen Christ to his disciples and followers;
  
  
• learn that Jesus gave a promise to His followers that the Holy Spirit would come to empower them;
  
  
• understand that Jesus' Ascension is a departure of the physically resurrected Jesus, but it prepares us for Christ's presence in a new way, in and through us;
  
  
• know that God's mission to tell everyone about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was entrusted to Christ's followers -- the disciples then and to us now;
  
  
• realize that we are still waiting for Jesus' return, known as the Second Coming.
  

Objectives for Drama Workshop

Children will act out the events of the Ascension through the Freeze Drama method.

PREPARATION

Read Bible Background.

Materials List

• Bibles
  
• Camera (Digital or disposable)
  
• Copy machine
  
• Costumes (optional)
  
• Eyeglasses or sunglasses, inexpensive
  
• Markers or pens
  
• Paper, 8 ½’ x 11”
  
• Vaseline
  
  If you don't want to use Vaseline, tissues with lotion in them also make distortions on eyeglasses. Vaseline might look too obvious, but the tissues with lotion would not.
  
  

Advance Preparation

Familiarize yourself with the camera.

Review the script. Make a copy of the script for each part: Narrator, Jesus, Disciples, Men in robes (angels). Mark a copy for each actor to indicate his or her specific part.

Spread a layer of Vaseline on the lenses of the glasses (not too thick).

PRESENTATION

Open – Introduction

Put on the glasses as the children arrive. Greet them using incorrect names. When all have arrived, say, "Oh! I didn't recognize you! There must be something wrong with these glasses."

Have a child put on the glasses. Ask: "Can you recognize everyone here?" (Allow others to take turns looking through the glasses. The Vaseline will distort the image somewhat.)

Say: "After the Resurrection the disciples had trouble recognizing Jesus sometimes when he appeared to them, kind of like we had trouble recognizing each other with these glasses."

Dig – Main Content

Distribute Bibles or have the children use their own. Have everyone turn to Acts 1:2-11. Read together.

Say: We are going to do a "freeze drama" to act out the story of Jesus’ Ascension. When you see the "*" on your script, then freeze! I will take your picture."

Put on costumes.

Distribute the scripts. Assign the parts of the Narrator, Jesus, Disciples, and Men in robes (angels).

Script:

Narrator: In the first book, (Theophilus), I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles who he had chosen.

*(Have Jesus character act like he is giving instructions to the disciples)

Narrator: After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Narrator: While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem.

*(Jesus freezes with finger pointing downward)

Narrator: But wait there for the promise of the Father.

Jesus: "This is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, *(Make scooping motion, as if scooping up water), but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit *(Make upward gesture) not many days from now."

Narrator: So when they had come together, they asked him:

Disciples: "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" *(Make questioning gesture)

Jesus: "It is not for you to know the time or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. *(Make a “no” gesture, or point to the head) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; *(Hold arms up as if showing off muscles) and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea *(Make sweeping motion; have disciples hold hand up to eyes as if looking out in the distance) and Samaria and to the ends of the earth."

Narrator: When he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. *(Have students pose looking up)

While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. *(Act shocked, surprised) They said,

Men/Angels: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? *(Have them point upwards) This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." *(Have men point down, as if Jesus were descending)

Reflect – Closure

At the end of the drama, ask the children the following questions:
I wonder what it must have been like to suddenly see Jesus? Have you ever had an unexpected visitor?

Do you think they understood what the Holy Spirit was, and what it was going to do for them?

What does it mean to be witness for Jesus?

What did the two men tell them to do?

Put the costumes away.

Review the memory verse.

Close in prayer.

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

Optional: If using a digital camera, show the pictures to them through a laptop, (if available) or create a slideshow and show all the groups, use it at a congregational program or in worship. If desired, print the pictures on paper, put captions under them and make a flipbook.

Adaptations – Younger Children

The narrator might need to read all the parts and have them pantomime the actions.

Adaptations -- Older children

The Luke version might be an easier story to understand and act out.

SOURCE

“Acts 1:2-11.” The Harper-Collins Study Bible. London: Harper-Collins Publishers, 1989, page 2059.

CONTRIBUTOR: Julie Burton

This message has been edited. Last edited by: julie burton,